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(No Model.) v W; ST. HILAIRE.

Edge Trimming Machine.

No; 240,560; Paten td April 26, I881.

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v U ITED STATES PATENT Gretna.

WILLIAM ST. HILAIRE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALMER B. JERNIGAN, OF SAME PLACE.

EDGE-TRIMMING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,560, dated April 26, 1881. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ST. HILAIRE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Edge-Trimming Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to. rotary machines for trimming leather; and it consists partly in the peculiar construction of the cutter blades, whereby shocks are avoided, and partly in the adjusting devices for the cutters and guards, all as hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents anelevation of one side of a rotary leather-trimmerembodyingmyinvention. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the other side thereof; and Fig. 3 represents an irregular section through Fig. 1, on the line a y. y

A designates a flat disk or circular plate, which forms the frame of the cutting-machine, and which is provided with a central hub, A, adapted to turn upon or with a shaft or spindle. This disk or plate is provided with a series of radial slots, at, a series of curved slots, at, and aseries of openings, 64. The curved slots a alternate with the radial slots at, and are arranged so as to form parts of a circle about midway between the central hub and the peit riphery of the disk. The openings at are arranged outside of the slots a, one' opposite each, and extend nearly to the periphery of disk or plate A. The slots a receive straight blocks 1), Which are attached to guards B, and provided with set-screws 1), whereby they may be clamped to said disk or plate A. Curved slots a in like manner receive curved blocks 0, which are attached to cutters O and provided with set-screws c. As all the blocks are made shorter than the slots in which they are placed, it is obvious that the cutters may have curvilinear longitudinal adjustment andthe guards Application filed February 26, 1881. (No model.)

may have straight longitudinal adjustment by meansof the devices above described.

The outer faces of the guards and cutters are recessed to receive the article which is to be operated on or that part of it which is subjected to the action of the cuttingblades. Each of these blades designated 0 is formed in one piece with the main part or stock of the cutter, and has its cutting-edge 0 arranged on an incline, so as to give a shearing cut to the leather presented. The result is that as the machine revolves the article is neatly and gradually trimmed without shocks. The edges hitherto used for this purpose have been radial to the central hub or shaft, and therefore all parts of the edge have acted at once and by direct pressure suddenly applied. Thus the shoe or other article held against the cutter-edges for trimming has been struck violently again and again as the machine rotated, making it very difficult to keep the shoe in proper position for trimming. This defect is obviated by my invention, which, moreover, insures greater neatness and delicacy in the work, none of the fibers being torn out of place or. forcibly disintegrated. As fast as the cutteredges are worn and resharpened, it becomes desirable to set the cutters forward, so as to bring their edges againinto the former position. For this purpose my cutter-adjusting devices above described will be found very serviceable.

Other means of adjustment-for instance, a screw-threaded rod and adjusting-nut-might be substituted for the above and would come within the scope of my invention; but I prefer the devices shown.

The function of the guards B is to regulate the depth of the cut given in trimming. The article to be trimmed of course cannot be 0 pressed in beyond the outer faces of these guards. By adjusting the latter in or out the exact depth or thickness of out can be regulated to a nicety. p

The shavings sheared off from theleather by 5 the cutting-edges fly through the openings a in disk or plate A.-

I am aware that it is not new in machines of this sort to leave openings for the scraps of leather to fly through, nor to make the cutters Ioo adjustable, nor to adapt them to a shearing out; also, that it is not broadly new to regulate the thicknessof material cut by rotary devices. The above I do not claim; but,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,- is- 1. In a leather-trimming machine, a set of radially adjustable guards, in combination with a radially-slotted disk and cutters carried thereby.

2. In combination with disk A, having radial slots a, the blocks 1), which set into said slots, the guards 13, attached to said blocks, and the screws 1), which clamp said blocks at any point of adjustment.

Witnesses:

F. G. SIMPSON, H. E. LODGE. 

